Although police calls have gone up at Hercules Middle High School in the last two years, expulsions and suspensions have gone down.

Some attribute this reduction to a restorative justice program that aims to keep students in school and help them resolve differences by talking about them, apologizing for their offenses and taking responsibility for them.

But critics say reducing suspensions and expulsions without solving the underlying problems can lead to an increase in disruptions and violence on campus, adversely affecting the learning environment.

Suspension and expulsion data for all schools in California is available by visiting http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest. Choose school level, then select “Expulsion, suspension and truancy” under “Student Misconduct and Intervention.”

The Hercules High School Climate Report Card — which grades the campus according to safety and other issues based on surveys of students, staff and parents — shows that the school ranked in the bottom 8 percent in the state in 2013 and the bottom 4 percent when compared to campuses with similar demographics.

In 2013, only 26 percent of students reported feeling “connectedness” to the school and a mere 9 percent of staff rated the school as “a supportive and inviting place to learn.”

To see the entire School Climate Report Card, visit http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest. Choose California School Climate Report Card under “Other,” along with school level. Then select year, West Contra Costa Unified, and Hercules High.

Additional details about the No Place for Hate Campaign are available by visiting www.adl.org/npfh.

To see videos related to Hercules Middle High from West Contra Costa school board meetings and the school’s multicultural rally, visit www.contracostatimes.com.

In a video clip recorded by a student, a psychology instructor at Orange Coast College told her class that the election of Donald Trump was “an act of terrorism” – prompting an official complaint from the school’s Republican Club.

Homegrown tech entrepeneurs and educators from West Contra Costa County participate in an Hour of Code event Wednesday at the Richmond Police Activities League aimed at getting more African-Americans, Latinos and minorities into the tech field, as part of Computer Science Education Week, from Dec. 5 to 11.